The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-07-22
HORSES FOR THE CAVALRY.
An Army Omeer TeIls Some secrets-p.v.
sndDays without . Sign OF yerdure.

few days ago New Yorl
newspaper reporter engaged in con
versatIon with a recruiting sergeant OF
the United States Cavalry feryice. and
In the course of the chat the officer
drlfted into the discussion Of the merits
OF horses supplied to the service. and
She manner in which they are furnished
TO the Government.
Not long since five hundred horses
were purchased in New York, st. Louis.
Chicago, and other large mercantile
centres for troops in the four big
Western departments of the Platte,
Dakota, Missouri and Texas, in which
divisions 1t Is estimated that three
fourths of the army of our country is
comprised.
=" Most Of our cavalry horses" said
she recruiting sergeant, "are lost on
the plains in the West. No one here
East can conceive the rigor of our
Western military duties or the hard
ships they entail for the soldiers and
their beasts. We suppose that the
great West Is teeming with verdure and
forage, whereas the fact is that in very
many tracts of country scouting par
ties are compelled to ride for week or
more, at the rate of perhaps fifty miles
day, with no grain for their horses
and very little grass by the way.
"a general scrutiny Of the condemned
army horses would show that their re-
tlrement from the service is due more
to starvation than anything else. Very
often the troopers horse drops In the
ranks from sheer exhaustion, and
others are so badly used up that they
never recover from the privation and
fatigue and are finally condemned for
use In the field and shipped to recruit
ing stations, where they answer much
better even than green horses for drill
ing recruits"
q" What are the physical qualifca-
tions demanded In the selection of
horses for the cavalry service?"
Well, in the first place, none but
geldings are taken. The Government
does not care for stations or mares.
The animal submitted for purchase
should stand at least fifteen hands high
and weigh about nine hundred pounds.
He should be short in the back and
also short in the pastern joints. A
long-legged beast with badly shaped
head wouldn't pass muster at all Low
vithers is one of the most essential
points, because a horse with high
withers is liable to work the saddle
forward and get sores; and once in
that condition he loses flesh and be-
comes worthless.
" In addition to these specifications
he must be absolutely free from con-
tracted hoofs or he won't pass the
inspection of the board"
/" In what manner are horses secured
for cavalry service?"
" Generally by advertising. The
particular class of animals desired are
becoming scarcer every day. This, 1
suppose, is due to the fact that breeders
are giving their attention to raising
draught horses of the Percheron, Nor
man and similar stock, which are, of
course, too slow for cavalry purposes.
"It is q singular fact that horse
dealers, as o rule, consider the Govern
ment Legitimate prey for all sorts Of
imposition. For instance, Mt the last
inspection only eight out of sixty
horses offered were accepted. Hostlers
trotted them out for inspection full
of confidence that they could unload
their employers stock of useless
equines.
"Some of the animal names and
foretops were plated and decorated
with strips of red flannel Their tails
were done up in common bagging of
SO bulky shape as to suggest the
probability of their being about ten
feet long.
"Of course, these decorations had to
come off to make sure that the tails
were all there, and that the names were
of hair instead of oakum.
The eyes of horse under inspec-
tion are closely examined.
If he, in general outline, is regarded
as worthy of consideration at all, he Is
submitted to rigorous examination
which takes up about a quarter of an
hour-all over him from his teeth to
his fetlocks and hoofs. Then the
hostler is directed to walk the animal
up and down the length of the yard
and afterwards to run him as fast as
the beast can go. If his action is easy
he is ordered tied In for the final
inspection.
" The last test is run up hill for a
distance of two hundred yards or so,
to see if his wind is good. No saddle
is used. The hostler simply mounts
and trots to the starting point, riding
back as fast as liberal application of
cowhide to his beast can carry him.
" II the horse passes this muster he
is purchased and led to the blacksmith
shop to be branded. His first decoration
Is big u S- on the left shoulder.
"When he is detailed to regiment
he is burned again with the regimental
brand, and with the brand Of his COM
pany ON the left hip. For more per-
feet identification he receives an sd-
ditional marking on the hoof, and is
then ready for business.
Il know Of nothing more painful
than the branding of a beast, and I
think he knows OF nothing more pain
full himself
"The brands become obscure In few
years, and are necessarily renewed. It
is peculiar fact that when the time
comes for renewing the operation nine
out of ten animals remember the prev
ious dose, and it is no easy matter to
repeat it"
Better Green than TOO Ripe.